Bergh



No. 293,924; Patented Feb. 19, 1884,

UNITED S ATES PATENT rrice.

HENRY'VAN HOEVENBERGH, OF ELIZABETH, NEXV JERSEY.

ELECT-RO-MECHANiCAL MGVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 293,924, dated February 19, 1884. Application filed April 30, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY VAN HOEVEN- My invention relates particularly to the organization of apparatus for propelling the typewheels oi'printing-telegraph instruments. The invention is, however, equally applicable to various other classes of instruments which are required to be actuated from a distance through electrical agency.

The object of the invention is to impart to the arbor of a type-wheel or other device to which the invention is applied a movement which may be readily controlled from a distant point by means of certain currents trans mitted through a single electric conductor.

The invention consists in providing three electro-magnets, each with an armature-lever acting in succession to impart to a star-wheel an advance movement, and in so organizing the apparatus that the circuitconnections of the three electro-mag nets will be completed in recurring succession through one or both of two systems of electric conductors, the particular system being determined by the positions of the star-wheel and the armature-lever at any given instant. For this purpose the main conductor, which proceeds from a suitable device adapted to transmit successive electric impulses, is connected with one terminal of the coils of each of the three independent electro-magnets. The remaining terminals are respectively connected with three contact-brushes impinging up on the periphery of a revolving circuit-closing device carried upon the arbor of the motor-wheel. This circuitclosing device comprises a series of conducting-segments which are caused,- by the revolution of the arbor, to make successive contacts with the three brushes. The conduotingsegments are electrically connected with the return-conductor of the transmitting device. The terminals of the coils which are thus connected with the contact-brushes are also electrically connected each with the armature-lever of the corresponding electromagnet. Each armature-lever is provided with a contact-spring, against which it impinges when the lever has been drawn into proximity to the poles of its electromagnet. These contactsprings are all connected with the return-eonductor before referred to. The relative posi tions of the various elements of the organization are such that in whatever position the star-wheel may be the circuitconnections will be completed from the transmitting device by means of the corresponding contact-brush and the particular conducting-segment which has been brought beneath the same by the revolution of the star-wheel. The electro-magnet thus in circuit will be vitalized when the impulse is transmitted, and the armature-lever will be actuated. The movement of the armature-lever advances the star-wheel a sufficient distance to carry the contact-segment through which the circuit of the vitalized electro-magnet was first closed beyond the contactbrush, and to place the succeeding electroanagnet in circuit through its contact-brush and one of the contact-segments The circuit through the first-named electro m agnet, although interrupted at the commutator, remains completed, however, through the armaturelever and correspondingv contact-spring until the electromagnet becomes demagnetized and the armature-lever is allowed to fall away from its contact-spring. Such demagnetization will be occasioned by the cessation of the impulse traversing the main conductor. The succeeding electric impulse will traverse the coils of. the second electro-magnet, and the steps will be repeated for each impulse transmitted.

The accompanying drawing is a diagram illustrating an organization of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, E represents a battery at the transmitting station,having one pole connected with the earth at G. Any suitable device,K,is employed fortransmitting successive impulses from the other pole of the batteryE upon amain line, L. At the receiving-station the main line Lis divided into three branches, 1 2 3, respectively connected with one terminal of the coils of three electro-magnets, M, M and M. The remaining terminals of these coils are respectively connected by conductors 4, 5, and 6 with three contact- 7 segments, (1.

brushes, 0 a c, of a commutator, G. The commutator C is carried together with the motor or star wheel A upon an arbor, B, and it is provided with twelve conducting contact; The segments d are electrically connected through a conductor, 13, with a conductor, L, leading to the earth at G. The relative positions of the contact-brushes and segments may be varied somewhat, as found necessary; but preferably they are-so arranged that a circuit will be closed through one of the contact-brushes immediately before the circuit through the preceding brush is interruptedthat is to say, a contact segment through which a circuit is at any time closed will pass from beneath the particular brush with which it is in contact immediately after another segment makes contact with the succeeding brush. The electro-magnets M, M", and M are provided with armatures m, m and mflrespectively carried upon armature-levers N, N", and N. The armatures and their levers are normally held away from the poles of their respective electro-magnets by suitable retractile springs,s,s, and s lVhen, however, any electro-magnet is vitalized, its armature and armature-lever will be drawn into proX- imity to its poles and cause the star-wheel A to be advanced in a manner hereinafter explained. The advancement of the star-wheel andits arbor causes a like advancement'of the circuit-closing device, and causes the former connection through that particular electromagnet to be interrupted. The movement of the star-wheel also brings one of the contactsegments into connection with the next succeeding contact-brush, thereby completing the circuit-connections through its electromagnet. The tendency would therefore be for this electro-magnet to occasion a still further movement of the star-wheel, and to repeat the action of cutting itself out of circuit, and the motor -wheel would be rapidly revolved without reference to the action of the transmitting device. It becomes necessary, therefore, that means should be provided for retaining the motor-wheel in the position which it is caused to assume by the action of any given electro-magnet until the cessation of the electric impulse then traversing the main line. For this purposethree contact-springs, p, p", and p, are provided, for respectively completing the circuit-connections of the bat tery through the respective electro-magnets M, M and M when the armature-levers are in their forward position. The contact-springs p are adj ustably carried upon suitable supports, 0', W, and T and are normally held by their resilience out of contact with their respective armature-levers. The springs 1), p and p are respectively connected by conductors 7, 8, and 9 with the mainline section L. The armature-levers N, N, and N 3 are respectively connected by conductors 10, 11, and 12 with those terminals of the coils of the eleetro-magnets M, M and M which are connected with the contact-brushes c, 0 and 0 It will be evident thus that when any armature-lever has responded to the action of its electro-magnet, thereby advancing the motor-wheel and interrupting the original circuit-connection, the movement of the armature-lever will in the meantime have caused the circuit to be closed through the corresponding armaturelever N and contact-spring p. The lever N will therefore remain in its forward position until the current through the electro-magnet is interrupted by some independent means. Such an interruption occurs through the action of the transmitter occasioning the cessation ofthe impulse. \Yhen a cessation occurs, the armature-lever which has occasioned the advancement of the wheel is drawn away from its electro-magnet, as also that of the succeeding electro-magnet, which will have responded to the current transmitted through its coils and the corresponding contact-brush. The next succeeding impulse will find the circuit completed through the last-named electromagnet and its contact-brush, and the action already described will be repeated. In practice it is preferable to so organize the apparatus that each armature-lever will make contact with its spring before it has reached the forward limit of its motion, and that the connection of the contact-brush should be interrupted immediately after such connection. It is evident, however, that the relative times of contacts may be varied within certain limits, as found desirable. Any well-known device may be employed for retaining thewheel in the successive positions which it assumes by the action of the armature-levers N.

It remains now to describe the method which I prefer to employ for converting successive vibrations ofthe armature-levers into a rotary movement of the motor or star wheel A. It consists in constructing this wheel with a series of wedge-shaped teeth, a, the number of which may be varied in different instruments to meet the requirements. At the extremity of each armaturelever is carried a pallet, n, for engaging the teeth a. The pallets a are also wedge-shaped, and conform in outline to the spaces between the successive teeth a. \Vhen any armature-leverfor example, the armature-lever N-is actuated, its beveled face impinges against one side of a tooth a, and forces the Wheel forward a sufiicient distance to bring the point of another tooth just beyond the point of the pallet n of the succeeding lever N The lever N being the next to be actuated, tends in like manner to advance the wheel A still farther. Its immediate effect, however, will be to assist in the advancement of the wheel A only to that point in its revolution at which the pallet n is mid way between two consecutive teeth and the armature-lever at the limit of its movement toward its corresponding electro-magnet. As already pointed out, the interruption of the current occasioned by the transmitting device permits b'oth armature-levers to fall away from their electro-magnets. The subsequent or circuit-controlling device 0. As there are forward movement of the armaturelever N 1 in response to the succeeding impulse, causes the steps already described to be repeated.

It is evident that there are numerous methods of employing the step-by-step movement of the motor-wheel A as a motive power. In case it is employed for actuating a type-wheel, I prefer to mount the same upon the same arbor with the star-wheel, and to so arrange the number of teeth a of-the wheel A with reference to the number of characters borne bythe type-wheel that each advancement of the motor-wheel occasioned by the movement of the armature-lever will rotate the type-wheel through an arc subtending one character and the space intervening between two adjacent characters. In this manner each impulse transmitted will cause a new character to be presented to the paper upon which the impressions are to be made. To secure this result, if the type-wheel be constructed with thirty-six characters, the motor-wheel should be provided'with twelve teeth. Moreover, for the reason that thirty-six electric impulses are thus required to advance the motor-wheel through a complete revolution, it will be nec essary to provide for thirty-six interruptions of the circuit on the point of the commutator three brushes, 0, with each of which each conductingsegment d makes one contact in each revolution of the wheel 0, byproviding twelve segments (Z the necessary number of interruptions may be secured.

The relations of the parts just described may, it is evident, be varied to any desired extent. Smallrollers may be employed in place of the pallets a.

I do not herein specifically claim, in combination, a star-wheel, a series of pallets, a series of electromagnets respectively included in independent main line conductors, and means for transmitting electric impulses n1 on said conductors either in advance or retrograde succession, as I have described and claimed such an organization in another application for Letters Patent.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a main line, a battery, and means for transmitting electric impulses from said battery upon said main line, of a star-wheel, a series of electro-magnets respectively included in branch circuits of the main line, an armature and armature-lever for each of said electro-magnets, means for completing the connections of said main line through each of said branch circuits in succession, and for automatically severing said connections when the armature of the electromagnet included in a circuit so completed has responded to the attraction of said electro-magnet, and means, substantially such as described, for automatically forming a second electrical connection through said electro-magnot before the first-named connection has been thus severed.

2. The combination, substantially as herein- I to interrupt the connections of the circuit first traversed by said impulse, and a second circuit-closing devi'ce acting to keep the circuit of said battery closed through the coils of said electro-magnet until said circuit is interrupted at another point.

a. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a battery, a motor-wheel, a series of electro-magnets, a series of armatures and armature-levers respectively acting through the influence of said electro-magnets to actuate said motor-wheel, and two series of circuit-closing devices, the devices of one se ries acting to momentarily complete the circuit-connections of said battery through the coils of said electro-magnets in succession, and to automatically interrupt those connections, while the devices in the second series act, through the instrumentality of a current traversingthe respective electro-magnets through the first-named circuit-closing devices, to independently complete the circuit-connections of said battery through said coils, respectively.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a main line, a battery, means for transmitting electric impulses from said battery upon said main line, a motorwheel, a series of electro-magnets, their armatures and armature-levers, and means, sub stantially such as described, for causing each electric impulse transmitted from said battery to rotate said motor-wheel in either direction a definite distance through the instrumentah ity of said armature-levers.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a series of electro-magnets and means, substantially such as described, for vitalizing each of said electro-magnets in succession, and for causing each electro-magnet, when thus vitalized, to complete inde pendent circuit-connections through itself and the succeeding electro-magnet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name this 25th day of April, A. I). 1883.

HENRY VAN HOEVENBERGH.

\Vitnesses:

DANIEL W. EDGECOMB, Ormnrns A. TERRY. 

